Reactual

The Best Flash Drives Of 2012

Justin Thomas — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:33:48 +0000

Best Overall: The Patriot Xporter XT Rage Flash Drive

Rating: Average of 4.4 out of 5 stars from 176+ reviewers on Amazon

The Patriot Xporter XT Rage Flash Drive is one of the fastest USB 2.0 flash drives available (and you’d hope so with a name like that). Specifically, the writing speed of this flash drive is about 11 MB/sec and the reading speed is about 35 MB/sec.

The Patriot Xporter is also one of the best deals in terms of dollars for gigabytes. The 16 GB version sells for around $22, and the 64GB version sells for around $90.

The drive has a retractable connector, and a rubber coated housing for water damage protection. It comes with a lifetime warranty.

The 64GB Patriot Xporter XT Rage Flash Drive is available from Amazon for about $90.

Best Speed and Capacity: Kingston Digital DataTraveler HyperX 3.0

Rating: Average of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 10+ reviewers on Amazon

If 64 GB just isn’t enough space for you, the Kingston Digital DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is a flash drive that comes in 128 GB and 256 GB versions. This drive supports the new USB 3.0 standard, which is being introduced on new computers. This is a solid choice if you have USB 3.0 and will be transferring very large files. The drive’s speeds with USB 3.0 are 225MB/s read and 135MB/s write.

The DataTraveler is compatible with USB 2.0, but this drive is an expensive option if you won’t be using USB 3.0 — you’d probably be better served by buying several 64GB drives instead.

The build quality of this drive is good — the it has a durable metal and rubber casing.

The 128GB Kingston Digital DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is available from Amazon for around $240

Secure and Multifunctional: The Victorinox Swiss Army Presentation Master

Rating: Average of 4.2 out of 5 stars from 39+ reviewers on Amazon

The Presentation Master is a 32 GB flash drive produced by Victorinox, maker of Swiss Army knives. It features strong encryption on the drive, and a fingerprint reader to protect your data. It also incorporates a bluetooth radio, which means you transfer files wireless to the drive.

The knife itself is fully-functional and compact (only 2 inches long). It has good build quality and features a laser pointer.

The Victorinox Presentation Master is available from Amazon for about $250.

The Brightest Flashlight Powered By AA Batteries

Justin Thomas — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:14:10 +0000

Prompted by a reader’s request, I went searching for the brightest flashlight powered by two AA batteries. The brightest I found is the 4Sevens Quark “X” AA² Tactical Flashlight which produces a remarkable 280 lumens on it’s max setting, and it measures just 5.8 inches in length.

The exact runtime specifications: 24 lumens for 20 hours, 115 lumens for 2.5 hours, and 280 lumens for 1.6 hours.

4Seven flashlights are constructed very well, and they come with a 10 year warranty.

Of course, I recommend powering this flashlight with low-discharge rechargeable AA batteries.

The Best Bath Filters

Justin Thomas — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:42:50 +0000

In A Nutshell

For filtering your bathwater I recommend:

For filter impurities — use a two-step bath filter like the Crystal Quest Bath Filter
For neutralizing chlorine and chloramines – add Vitamin C tablets or Vitamin C powder directly to your bathwater

The Details

Typically, 60% of the chlorine that most people absorb daily comes from showering or bathing in chlorinated water. Chlorine damages your hair and skin – you can read about the hazards of showering in chlorinated water here. Bath water also contains things like heavy metals and VOCs (volitive organic compounds). Ideally, all these things should all be filtered out.

Filtering bathwater is a similar process to filtering shower water, If you have a shower head incorporated in your bath you can use my recommend shower filters (a VitaMax Vitamin C In-Line Filter together with a Sprite HOB-CM Brass Shower Filter), and use your shower to fill your bath. This means you only need one set of filter for both shower and bath.

Otherwise, I recommend using a dedicated bath filter like the Crystal Quest Bath Filter. This bath filter has a 2-step filtration process — it features both KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) filtration (good for removing heavy metals) and Granular Activated Carbon filtration (good for removing sediment, chlorine and radon).

The Crystal Quest Bath Filter available from Amazon for around $50.

Vitamin C Tablets or Powder

Vitamin C tablets or Vitamin C powder will remove 99% of free chlorine and 99% of chloramines from shower water. Chloramine or NH₂Cl (a combination of chlorine and ammonia) is now commonly being used in place of chlorine for disinfection, but chloramine is not easily removed from water. However, Vitamin C can neutralize 99% of the chloramines from water. To back this up, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission now states on their website that only Vitamin C can be used to remove chlormaines from municipal water. Here is the quote from the Commission:

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has recently been included in AWWA Standard (AWWA, 2005b) as one of the methods for dechlorination of disinfected water mains. SFPUC and other utilities have used Vitamin C for dechlorination prior to environmental discharges of chlorinated and chloraminated water. Since ascorbic acid is weakly acidic, the pH of water may decrease slightly (Tikkanen et al., 2001). Ascorbic acid has been used for a long time as one of the dechlorinating agents for preservation of chlorinated or chloraminated water samples for laboratory analysis.

The full document can be found here.

Vitamin C tablets are slight more convenient since the some in measured amounts (tablets) and they also “fizz” to release the Vitamin C. However, Vitamin C powder is quite a bit less expensive overall.

One More Option

If you have a showerhead incorporated in your bath, you can make use of my recommend shower filters (a VitaMax Vitamin C In-Line Filter together with a Sprite HOB-CM Brass Shower Filter), and use your shower to fill your bath. However, it does take longer to fill your bath, and you’ll lose some heat from the water and it falls from the showerhead.

Used & Refurbished iPads For Under $300

Justin Thomas — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:11:33 +0000

Buying a used or refurbished iPad makes a lot of sense. iPads are relatively sturdy devices and have few moving parts. If you can deal with a few scuffs on the case, you expect to save about $200-$300 when buying a used iPad. However, we recommend purchasing your iPad from a seller that has a good track record, and offers a money back guarantee. We also recommend buying your used or refurbished iPad from a store like Amazon, because they have efficient customer service, so there’s a lot less hassles when dealing with returns.

Here are the best deals on iPads we’ve found for March:

First-Generation iPad, 16 GB

Currently, you can buy a new a first-generation 16GB iPad on Amazon for $469. Here are the best deals for used 16GB iPads from reliable sellers:

$259.99 for iPad (first-generation) 16 GB, Used (Good Condition), sold by ExpressMedia
$279 for iPad (first-generation) 16 GB, Used (Good Condition), sold by 3duk8

First-Generation iPad, 32 GB

Currently, you cam buy a new a first-generation 32GB iPad on Amazon for $469. Here are the best deals for used first-generation 32 GB iPads from reliable sellers:

$261 for iPad (first-generation) 32 GB, Used (Like New), sold by Gazelle
$289 for iPad (first-generation) 32 GB, Used (Like New), sold by Neweli Tech Store

Second-Generation iPad, 16 GB

Currently, you cam buy a new a second-generation 16GB iPad on Amazon for $460. Here are the best deals for used second-generation 16 GB iPads from reliable sellers:

$332.29 for iPad (second-generation) 16 GB, Used (Like New), sold by Gazelle
$368 for iPad (second-generation) 16 GB, Refurbished, sold by jTrade

The Best Ultraviolet LED Flashlights Of 2012

Justin Thomas — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:09:54 +0000

Ultraviolet light is a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nanometers to 400 nanometers. LEDs that emit ultraviolet light were introduced in 2006, and there are now ultraviolet LED flashlights available. These flashlights are most often used to detect fraudulent documents, see watermarks, read invisible ink or investigate crime scenes. They can also be used to “fluoresce” scorpions and certain types of minerals, and charge “glow-in-the-dark” object like fishing lures.

Here are the best rated, most reliable UV flashlights available:

Gallium Indium Nitride UV Flashlight

This Gallium Indium Nitride UV flashlight gets great ratings from Amazon buyers, so we thought we’d include it here. Reviewers were impressed by the toughness of flashlight, and the fact that it emits 365 nm UV light, which is at the very edge of our visible range. The light from this flashlight appears as a dim purple-blue to the eye, but when it shines on items that fluoresce they light up brightly.
It uses three AAA batteries — we recommend using low self-discharge AAA rechargeable batteries like Eneloop Pros in this flashlight.

The Gallium Indium Nitride UV flashlight is available from Amazon for about $31.

Streamlight 51018 Twin-Task UV Flashlight

Streamlight is one of the few companies that still make flashlights in the U.S., and their products get consistently high ratings.

If you need reliable flashlight that provides both an ultraviolet mode and white light mode, the Streamlight Twin-Task UV Light is a great choice. It has six 390nm UV LEDs for ultraviolet light, and an ultra-bright xenon bulb for white light. It’s fully waterproof, and one meter impact resistance tested.

The Twin Task is powered by three C-size batteries — we recommend using the latest rechargeable Imedion batteries (see our full review here).

The Streamlight Twin-Task UV Light is available from Amazon for about $37.

Streamlight Multi Ops Flashlight

This Streamlight Multi Ops flashlight incorporates three separate light modes. The first mode is the Ultraviolet Mode, where it uses five 390nm UV LEDs . The second mode is a red laser pointer, with a useable laser range of 100+ feet. The third mode is White LED Mode, which uses a C4 LED, producing 50 lumens of white light.

The Streamlight Multi Ops flashlight is available from Amazon for around $38.

The Streamlight Multi Ops is powered by three AAA batteries (again, we recommend Eneloop Pros).

The Best Flashlights For Retaining Night Vision

Justin Thomas — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Aviators, astronomers, truck drivers, campers and anyone wanting to retain their night vision can benefit from LED flashlights with red or green light options.

Which is best, green or red light? Well, it’s the total brightness of the light that has the most significant effect on night vision retention, so you’ll want a light that allows you to easily adjust brightness. Our eyes are more sensitive to green light, which means you need much less green light than red light to see something, giving green light an edge. See a detailed discussion of this topic here or here.

Here are a couple of top rated flashlights optimized for night vision:

Streamlight 14003 Sidewinder LED Flashlight

The Streamlight Sidewinder incorporates four LEDs: white, red, green and blue. Each LED lamp features four levels of brightness: Low (5%), Medium (20%), Medium-High (50%), High (100%) plus a Strobe function (100%). So, this flashlight can light an entire room, or it can be dimmed to a task light level.

The Streamlight Sidewinder is available at Amazon for about $59.

See also the Streamlight Clipmate, this has three green LEDs.

Smith & Wesson Galaxy 12-LED Flashlight

The Smith & Wesson Galaxy 12 is a versatile LED flashlight, featuring eight white, two red, and two blue LEDs. The ultra bright white LEDs offer general lighting and visibility within 20 feet, and red and blue LEDs for low-light viewing. The battery life is 30-hours using three AAA batteries.

The Galaxy 12 received an average of 4.4 of out 5 stars from 17+ Amazon reviewers.

The Smith & Wesson Galaxy 12 LED Flashlight is available at Amazon for about $23.

How To Find Apple Laptops Under $500

Justin Thomas — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 20:36:14 +0000

It is possible to find an Apple Laptop for under $500 — you can get a used iBook, MacBook or Powerbook in this price range.

Note that you won’t find a new Apple laptop for under $500. If you want a new Mac laptop — the least expensive option is to purchase a Apple MacBook Air MC506LL/A, which was released in 2010, and currently sells for $849 at Amazon.

The Best Apple Laptops Under $500

Let’s take a look at the used Apple laptops you can get for under $500.

When buying a used or refurbished laptop, pay attention to the seller’s rating and return policy. In most cases you’ll want to avoid “newly launched” sellers, or sellers with ratings under 90%. When your used laptop arrives, you’ll know pretty soon if it works as advertised. If it doesn’t, you’ll want to be able to return the machine within 30 days. I’d also try to find a buyer who mentions that the laptop has a battery that “still holds a charge”. Many laptop batteries need to be replaced after 4-5 years. If you do find the battery unacceptable, it’s possible to buy a replacement Macbook batteries separately for about $40.

Apple MacBook MB403LL/A ($470-$500)

For just under $500, the best Macbook you can buy is an Apple MacBook MB403LL/A. This Macbook came out in Late 2008, and it has 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a 13.3 inch screen. Although it was released 4 years ago, this is a perfectly acceptable laptop for 2012. It can run Apple’s latest operating system, OS X 10.7 “Lion”. I’d advise you to try to get this Macbook with 2 GB of memory installed — there’s not much price difference between a 1GB and 2GB machine, but the extra memory makes a difference.

The Apple MacBook MB403LL/A is available on Amazon for about $500.

Apple G4 iBook M9627LL/A ($250-$300)

If you really looking to save some money, you can get an Apple G4 iBook for under $300. These machines came out between 2003 and 2004. They have 1.33 gHZ processors and can run the OS X 10.5 “Leopard” operating system. While they are not speedy by today’s standards, these laptops work fine for web browsing and running other applications, though watching videos online can be frustrating. But overall, a quality computer from Apple.

The Apple G4 iBook is available from Amazon for $250-$300.

Apple G4 Powerbook M9110LL ($470-$500)

If you’re looking for laptop with a 17″ screen, you can get a used Powerbook G4 M9110LL for under $500. Note, however that this machine was released in 2003, and only has an 1.33-GHz PowerPC G4 processor. The MacBook mention above is an faster Intel processor and more memory for the same price.

The Top Rated LED Lanterns (Powered By AA Batteries)

Justin Thomas — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 04:00:27 +0000

LED Lanterns are perhaps the most useful portable lights — they can be used as camp lights, work lights, or emergency lights. The LEDs inside aren’t susceptible to shocks, and they last for 10 years or more.

LED lanterns that run on AA batteries are particularly useful. These lantern are small yet bright enough to light up a tent. You can power them with low-discharge rechargeable AA batteries (or regular AA alkaline batteries).

Budget Choice: Coleman 3AA High-Tech LED Mini Lantern

Average Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars from 19+ reviewers

This LED lantern from Coleman is the highest rated AA-batery powered LED Lantern on Amazon. It shines with 85 lumens of light for 6 hours using just three AA batteries.

The Coleman 3AA High-Tech LED Mini Lantern is available at Amazon for around $20.

Best Overall: Black Diamond Apollo LED Lantern

Average Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars from 8+ reviewers

The Black Diamond Apollo lantern runs on 4 AA batteries. Reviewers like the even light of this lantern, which can shine at maximum of 80 lumens for 15 hours, or at (up to 60 hours at 10 lumens). The Apollo also features a dimmer switch and battery-life indicator.

The Black Diamond Apollo LED Lantern is available at Amazon for about $42.

Achromatic Alloy Cases

Justin Thomas — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:59:20 +0000

These are Achromatic Alloy Cases — the series consists of a Compact backpack, Campus Backpack, Macbook Case, and Messenger Bag.

The Brightest LED Flashlights Of 2012

Justin Phelps — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:05:18 +0000

These days, there are some mighty bright LED flashlights over there — ones that can rival car headlights in their shine. My personal favorite is the 800 lumen Fenix TK-41, which is the only one that runs on AA batteries (more details at bottom of article).

Let’s take at look at some of the brightest LED Flashlights in the world:

Update March 2012: We’ve found a some bright LED flashlights on Amazon, claiming to be either 2000 or 38000 lumens (this one with a charger for $46.99, and this one for $52.95). Reviewers say the actual output is closer to 1000 lumens. Still, at this price level, these are probably a good deal, if you want a recreational flashlight. Note, though, you can get the 800 lumen Fenix TK-41 that runs on standard AA batteries for $111 (see below).

Olight SR90 Intimidator: 2200 Lumens

This is a bright one – Olight SR90 Intimidator shines with 2200 lumens in its highest mode! The Intimidator has a Luminus SST-90 LED running at 30 watts to achieve its extreme brightness. The exact specs are: 2200 lumen output in high mode (80 minutes runtime) and a 700-lumen output in low mode (9 hours runtime). The SR90 Intimidator also has a strobe function good for 160 minutes of continuous operation. Designed with maximum throw in mind, the SR90 Intimidator can project its cool-white beam up to 1,000 meters.

As you might expect, the SR90 Intimidator isn’t a lightweight. It is 13.23” long and has a bezel diameter of 3.94”. It weighs approximately 3.5 pounds. Accordingly, this flashlight comes with a strap as well as a charger and an extra O-ring. You can monitor the remaining juice of its six 18650 lithium-ion batteries via the four-light indicator on its tail. The SR90 Intimidator is water-resistant.

You can buy the Olight SR90 Intimidator for around $395 on Amazon.

EagleTac M3C4: 1000 Lumens

The EagleTac M3C4 is a fine flashlight with a 1000 lumen turbo mode. It has a Triple CREE XP-G Cool White R5 LED inside, and is powered by 4 CR123A lithium batteries or two 18650 lithium-ion batteries (button-top cells only). It is relatively light at 12 ounces (without batteries).

You can get the EagleTac M3C4 for $139 about at Amazon.

Here it is in action:

Fenix TK-35: 820 Lumens

The Fenix TK-35 is the highest rated of our very bright flashlights, getting an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars from 87+ reviewers on Amazon. The first flashlight to use a Cree XM- LED, the TK-35 shines at 820 lumens in turbo mode.

You can find the Fenix TK-35 on Amazon for about $111.

Here it is in action:

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Fenix TK-41: 800 Lumens

The Fenix TK-41, which shines at 800 lumens, is the brightest flashlight that runs on AA batteries. It uses eight AA batteries, and these can be rechargeable NiMH or alkaline AAs. The TK41 produces four brightness levels, the lowest (10 lumens) allows the flashlight to run for up to 240 hours.

The Fenix TK-41 is available from Amazon for about $111.

Here it is in action:

The Torch: 4100 Lumens

Just for fun: It’s not a LED light, but we should mention the highly impractical Torch, which can cook eggs with its 4100 lumens. Unfortunately the battery lasts only 15 minutes and it easily burn your hand!